Science Meets Magic
by Nueemann
Summary: *Sequel to Secrets Better Kept Secret* When some Guardians are hired away from the Royals to Guard another Moroi family, Lissa goes to find out why the Guardians are leaving, and while she's gone, she learns the history of an ancient Moroi family.
1. Prologue

**Ok, I know I said I was going to try and finish Uprising first, but that sort of got kicked in the head. So here is the sequel to Secrets Better Kept Secret!**

**Also, thank you VERY much to everyone who read Secrets Better Kept Secret, and thank you for reading this. There are several new content links on my profile page, so as soon as you are done reading this, please go and check those out.**

**Also, I am starting to take some content from the great video games I have played, you will no doubt notice that when you see the new links. This story is getting more Science Fiction-ish, but it's going to stay as close to reality as possible.**

**Disclaimers**

**I do not own the Vampire Academy series or any associated content, that belongs to Richelle Mead.  
I do not own the name "Sovereign", that is take from the 2007 Video Game, Mass Effect by Bioware and EA. (This likely didn't need to go here, but I put it in anyways.) **

**Prologue**

_11:30 PM_

_Friday October 21st, 2010_

_Shavarishka Family Estate_

_40 Miles South of Tokyo, Japan_

The Guard exited the stairwell and entered the hallway leading to the home's observation room, or as it was known amongst those who served the Shavarishka family, "The Dark Room." It had earned this nickname because of the well tinted windows that blocked most sunlight, and it's almost complete lack of lighting fixtures. It was now occupied by the family's head of security, a figure who went only by the name "Sovereign." They perferred to be recognized as "Lord Sovereign" when being spoken to, and they demanded the utmost respect. They always wore a set of pitch black robes with a hood and a crimson and black face mask. Their voice was menacing, it was a deep, commanding male voice with a strong computerized undertone. Everyone, except the family members, dreaded speaking to this dreaded figure.

The Guard approached the heavy industrial metal door at the end of the hall and keyed the intercom.

The voice that replied was not that of Lord Sovereign, but the lone woman who was always in the room with them. They allowed people into the room, and they were the only one who, aside from some of the family members, had seen this figure without their mask.

The voice was smooth, with a slight british accent, "Yes, Lefttenant, what brings you up here?"

The Guard stood straight, being wise of the camera that watched him, "Status report for Lord Sovereign."

"Ah, he's been waiting for this, please, enter."

There was a loud clicking noise as the door unlocked and split down the middle, with each half moving to the side as it opened. The Guard entered the entrance chamber and stopped as the door closed behind him, and the door in front of him opened.

There was a door to the right of the entrance, it led to Sovereign's private sanctuary, a room which absolutely nobody, Guard or family member, had entered. Aside from Sovreign themselves.

He entered the room and took no comfort in his surroundings. The room was dark, because of the afformentioned lighting, but there was little in the way of furnishings either. There was a small room, by itself, with a desk and a clear window, behind which the door watchwoman sat, a light flickering abover her as she typed into her computer.

She looked up at the Guard and waved him through. The Guard walked across the almost entirely empty room towards the raised platform where the imposing figure of Lord Sovereign stood.

The Platform was raised two or three feet above the ground, and had railing 180 degrees around it. The other 180 degrees were surrounded by tinted windows that gave a view of the outside of the home, and the beautiful gardens that greeted visitors.

As the Guard approached, he lowered himself to his knees before the platform, a tradition amongst the family, and adressed the figure in front of him.

"Lieutenant Garsikov here with the daily status report my Lord."

The figure spoke with that menacing voice that sent a shiver up the man's spine, "You may rise. What is the status of my device, have you made progress?"

"Yes my Lord, the device is operating at 110% capacity, beyond our expectations, and the barriers are holding nicely."

"So the energy flow is stable? The device is not showing any signs of fatigue?"

"No, my Lord, it is holding perfectly, just as you had hoped."

Sovereign was silent for several moments, and then spoke, "Good work, Lieutenant."

The Guard stood uneasily, waiting to be dismissed.

The figure turned, and the Guard could faintly make out their terrifying mask in the darkness.

"Is something on your mind, Lieutenant?"

"No, my Lord, of course not."

"Please choose your words carefully. Your predecessor was, ah, "dismissed" for lying to me, do not forget that."

"Oh, no my Lord, it is not something offensive, it's just that. Well, I was wondering if you believe there is a chance this device could fail, we don't want to have another incident, like last week."

"By 'We' I assume you mean 'I'. And don't worry, this device is not as unstable as the one we installed last week. Lord Shavarishka's calculations were off when that device was built, so it malfunctioned. I have worked with him to resolve the error though, and this one should function as expected. Tell me though, does delivering these reports make you nervous?"

"No, of course not."

"Lieutenant. Choose your words wisely."

"Oh, well. Yes, it does. You are an imposing figure, it is slightly disturbing to be here."

"Don't worry. So long as you do your job and do it well, you will not be harmed by me. I have no reason to dispense harsh punishment unless the failure warrents it. I do require respect, and a very high level of it, though. And I am pleased that showed me such respect today by speaking your mind. You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you."

The Guard turned and walked back across the room, waiting at the desk for a second before the watchwoman opened the door and, taking one last look at the room, exited.

**So remember to review and let me know how it's going! Thanks to all who read my stories!**


	2. Chapter One

**Well, I hope everyone who read Secrets Better Kept Secret is here and caught up, because here is Chapter One, this one is back with Lissa and Dimitri, and that's how I plan to keep writing this.**

**Also, please see my Profile Page for a general reference to Sovereign's appearance and voice.**

**Disclaimer: Go BACK to the Prologue and read it.**

**Chapter One**

_Two years._

Two years had passed, and I still thought about her every day.

But then again, Rose was the sort of person you never forget about, no matter how much she changed. I wished she was here with me, guarding Lissa, but she had gone, and she never left us any clues as to where she went. But I still held the hope that one day, I would find her. One day, I would bring her back. But then, my thoughts of Rose were broken by Lissa's voice.

"Dimitri? Are you going to keep walking, or just stand there staring into the sky for an hour?"

I looked over at her and heard her laugh, I just smiled and started walking. It was a nice day, which made this short walk across Court all the more pleasant. I decided I should probably apologize for stopping back there.

"Liss, I'm sorry for holding you up back there, I know that you have places to go and things to do, but I have a few things on my mind."

She smiled sweetly, "By a few things, you mean one thing. Rose."

I shook my head, "How do you always know?"

"That's easy, Dimitri. It's always Rose. Always."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I miss her every day, and I would at least like to know where she is."

Lissa stopped and turned to look at me, "So would I, Dimitri. We were like sisters, but after that incident, she changed."

I started walking again, "Yea, well. She isn't coming back any time soon, so let's get moving. You have a meeting to go to."

Lissa wasn't expecting me to start walking, but she caught up fast. And we got to the Council meeting chamber without saying another word. As we entered, we stood before the Moroi Council, made up of members from every family, now including the Dragomirs, who had Lissa standing in for them until she turned 21 next year, and could take the throne. In lieu of selecting a new King or Queen, the decision was made to have the Council govern the Moroi until Lissa was old enough to be crowned Queen and do it herself. She was also brought into the council part time to learn how the government worked. As I headed over to take my posistion along the wall with the other Guardians, Lissa headed to take her seat.

The next few minutes of the meeting passed, and nothing caught my attention, so I focused on guarding the room. Although the meetings were usually uninteresting, this one had a discussion that I found interesting.

"So, next order, the number of Guardians that are being hired away for private service."

I started to pay some attention to the new topic, and found it odd. Guardians that are being hired away from us for private service? What family would have the money to not only do that, but want to privately hire active Guardians.

"Most of the Guardians have refused to tell us where they are headed, and merely checking where their flights are going doesn't work. All of their flights that we have checked into head to different places in Central Europe, then they take connecting flights somewhere else, and we can't track the connecting flights. However, recently, one Guardian gave us a phone number. The number was for a satellite transmitted phone, and when we called it and left a message, we received the following message back."

The Council member who had been speaking pulled out a digital audio recorder and placed it on the table, she pressed a button and the voice that came from it's speakers sent shivers down my spine. It was a disturbing voice, it sounded like a very deep male voice, but it had a vibrating electronic undertone that sounded odd but strangely familiar.

_"This is the High Lord Sovereign, and this message is to the Royal Moroi Council. Stop trying to find where your Guardians are going. I have been hiring them for the safety and well being of the family I am indebted to. I assure you that your Dhampirs are not being harmed, and are simply doing what they did for you, except they are being payed much better and are treated with more respect than you gave them. However, if you truly do wish to see that they are being taken care of, then have Princess Vasilisa Dragomir contact me, and make arrangements for her to visit us. This is not a trap, and she will not be harmed, but while I know most of you would attempt to bribe us to send your Guardians back, I know the young princess would never do such a thing, and she would also never falsify information about us. You have my instructions, either have her contact us, or don't. I really couldn't care, as I have enough work to do."_

"That is the end of the message. And now we must decide if we want Princess Dragomir to investigate further."

Another Council member spoke up, "Excuse me, but I do believe that that choice should be left to the princess herself, as we shouldn't send her anywhere against her will."

"Well, Princess Dragomir, would you like to investigate this matter on behalf of the Council?"

Lissa sat silently for a moment, "I suppose so. It is in our best intrest for me to at least learn where the Guardians are going."

"Alright. We will set up the call for you later today, and hopefully you can arrange a visit to wherever the hell this person is."

After that, the meeting resumed it's boring, uninteresting state.

**Well, there you go. More to come soon! Please remember to review and let me know what you think! :)**


	3. Chapter Two

**Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you all continue to read and enjoy my story!**

**Disclaimer: Go back and read it.**

**Chapter Two**

I had followed Lissa after the meeting, as she always had me do, and the rest of the day proceeded rather normally. Although after a while, I decided I should pop off for a quick drink, but before I could do so, Lissa was taken by another Guardian to her assigned phone call or whatever to deal with the missing Guardians. So we parted ways and I left her to deal with that.

_Lissa POV_

I really didn't know what the Council expected me to say, so I just decided to keep the conversation calm and simple until they arranged details for me to leave.

The voice that came over the phone, however, was not the one I had heard earlier, but was a female one with a rather slight british accent.

"Hello, if you are calling this number I assume you have business with us, please state it. Quickly."

I responded, slightly surprised, "Yes, this is Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, calling on behalf of-"

"The Royal Moroi Council, yes I know. We have been expecting your call and have two transport options avalible to bring you here. Neither of which will be controlled by your "Council".

I noticed that she said the word Council with a slightly sarcastic tone, "Yes, well could you please list these?"

"Certainly. The first is a helicopter flight from San Fransisco, California to a privately owned ship off the coast, then a long sail across over to Japan, before taking a private jet to the destination. The other is a flight via private jet from a different US city, not decided yet, to an airport in the UK, then another flight to somewhere in Central Europe for refueling, then another flight to the destination, unless refueling is required. Please take a moment to choose and decide before the conversation ends, or you will not be welcome here."

I thought for a moment. While the boat trip sounded a little more relaxing than the usual flight connecting flight, the other option was quicker, and I was eager to get the trip done already.

"I will take the series of private jet flights from-"

The woman interrupted me again, "Excellent, I shall inform my Lord at once, and the jet will be prepared for you some time within two days. Thank you for your business."

And with that, she hung up.

_Dimitri POV_

I had no idea whether or not Lissa's meeting was over, but I did know that Marissa had finished work, so I decided to pay a visit to her before heading for Lissa's home. I headed across Court to the worker housing. It was like the Guest housing area, but not as lavish or well decorated. The rooms were also smaller, but in a nice way. They were usually in use by the Non-Royal Moroi who worked office or groundskeeping jobs on Court, and weren't assigned to any family in particular.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by the familiar face and sweet eyes I had come to expect from Marissa.

"Dimitri, nice to see you again. I assume you are here for news?"

She knew there was truly only one reason for me to visit her, and it was always the same. News about Rose. Shortly after taking her old job back, Marissa had begun looking into leads on where Rose had gone. And she was making slow progress. Her friends off Court had searched locations worldwide, and spotted Rose in a few cities including Stuttgart in Germany, Warsaw in Poland, Stockholm in Sweden, and Geneva in Switzerland. Although they couldn't exactly do anything to take her back here, it was nice to know where she was.

"Yes, where has she been this time?"

Marissa chuckled, "Well, my contacts lost her for a while, they stopped searching Europe and tracked her down through flight records and airline tickets she purchased with a fake name. Sure enough, they got her again."

I smiled, "Where at this time?"

"Well, she left Europe from a flight in Helenski, Finland, and after a connecting flight, ended up in Iceland. They say she was there for a few days before heading over to Canada. They say she's been in, uh. Damn, one second." She headed over to a desk in the corner and rifled through some papers, "There it is. They say she's flown out to the west coast, she's been spotted in Victoria and Vancouver over the past few weeks."

I laughed, "She sure keeps on the move."

"Yea, even more now. I'm not entirely sure why, but she could have just been tired of Europe."

I sighed, "Maybe, or I can hope she's making her way back here."

"You had better hope she isn't. She's wanted by the Council for major theft."

I chuckled nervously, "Theft of what?"

"Money. Just days after Tatiana's death was made public, a very large amount of money was taken from the Ivashkov family accounts. She's been using it to stay on the move."

I turned to leave, "Well, I should've expected as much. I might not be back for a while, I think Lissa has to make a trip for Court business or something. I'm not sure, but Guardians are leaving to protect someone else or something."

Marissa spoke before I could walk out the door, "Oh, I have something in the way of information on that if you would like it. My contacts discovered it while they were poking around for Rose's financial records."

I stopped and turned back, "Well, let's hear it."

Marissa went through some papers again, "Ah, here." She handed me a piece of paper.

I looked it over, it was a reciept and a contract. With two signatures on the bottom.

"Those signatures belong to a Guardian and a man named Darrell Shavarishka. When they checked into it, my people found out that he is a wealthy Moroi man that has investments in almost every major company they could find. He has more money than most of the Royal Families."

"Hmm, Shavarishka, never heard of it. It's not Royal."

"I know, and it's odd that a Non-Royal Moroi would have that much money. They couldn't find any property listings for him or any family though. In fact, the only things they could find out about the family are that he is married. They don't know if he has any brothers or sisters or even children."

"Thanks for the information Marissa, I'd better get going."

The next words she said were in a cautious and low tone, "Be careful Dimitri, especially if you are going to investigate this guy. The only other info my contacts found came from some close friends of his, and they say he earned his nickname, The Reaper, easily."

As I left Marissa's and headed for Lissa's room, I stopped thinking about Rose and started to wonder who this family was, and if we were heading straight for their home

**Remember to review and let me know what you think of the story!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Nueemann :)**


	4. Chapter Three

**Well, here's Chapter Three. This one took a while, but it's fairly long compared to normal, so it should suit fine.**

**I am sorry for any errors (spelling or otherwise.) because I don't want to read over a chapter this long this late (2 AM).**

**Please read and review, and thanks for the patience!**

**Disclaimer: Just go back to the prologue, please.**

**Chapter Three**

I knew that we were taking several different flights, but dear god did it ever take long to get to wherever the hell we were going. We weren't permitted to look out the windows during the final part of our journey, and we landed at a private airstrip, so there was no way to tell from airport signs where we had landed. After landing, me, Lissa, and the other two Guardians the Council had sent were driven in a van to the estate the family lived on.

It was a fair sized home, but small in area it covered. There was a beautiful garden that looked even better in the early morning sunrise. We were told that if we arrived at night, we wouldn't be allowed to enter the home until the sun rose. The home looked like it was three floors, and it had an odd shaped set of highly tinted windows sticking out slightly from the top floor. It looked sort of like a half gazebo made of tinted industrial glass. I guessed it was sort of an observation window. We were greeted at the door by a man who was obviously a Dhampir, although Lissa likely didn't notice it as well as I did.

"Hello, you must be Vasilisa Dragomir, my friends have been expecting you. Please, come in."

He spoke in a calm, polite tone that was slightly unusual for a Dhampir, especially one who was working as a Guardian of sorts.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you. May I ask, who would I speak to about the matter which I came for?"

"Well, that depends. Are you asking about the Dhampir working conditions, or why the Guardians here were chosen for employment?"

"Well, I suppose I am curious more about why you have been hiring Guardians from us at all. We are kind of having a shortage of them."

"Well, that requires answers from Lord Shavarishka and Lord Sovereign. I'm sure that-"

At that point, another Dhampir came down the stairs and interrupted the one speaking to us, "Lord Sovereign has requested our visitor's presence at once."

The Guard nodded, "Of course." He turned back to us, "Yes, only one of your Guardians will be allowed into the Lord's chamber. They prefer to have as few people in the room as possible at a time."

I turned to the other Guardians, "You think we can trust these people?"

Each one responded, but they all said the same basic thing, "Sure, they seem alright. For now."

I turned back to the Dhampir, "That will be fine. If you want to go Lissa, I'll follow."

She nodded, "Alright, my Guardians can stay down here, but Guardian Belikov here will come with me. Where are we meeting this Lord Sovereign at?"

"His chamber is on the top floor of the home, follow me."

We started walking and after reaching the second floor, we approached the end of a hallway with two doors, "One of these leads to The Dark Room, the other leads to Lord and Lady Shavarishka's master bedroom."

He opened the left door and started walking. We followed and I closed the door behind me. As we reached the top of the stairs, the Dhampir opened the door and we entered a dark hallway with no windows and some evenly spaced dim lights along the wall. At the end of the hall there was a set of double doors and a small panel that looked like an intercom, there was a camera above it.

The Dhampir pressed a button on the panel and spoke, "Princess Dragomir and her Guardian, Belikov, here to see Lord Sovereign."

After a few seconds the doors slid open to reveal a small room and another set of doors. We entered the room and the doors closed behind us. Then, after the doors closed, the ones in front opened. The room we entered was also dimly lit. There were almost no lights in this one, and there was a small room separated by a piece of clear industrial glass with a desk behind it and a light above it. A woman, another Dhampir, sat behind it with a computer beside her. She was writing on a piece of paper and looked up at us for a second, "You can go and see him." She turned to the other Dhampir, "You are dismissed."

He nodded and left the room. We walked forward, and I noticed that the room was almost bare, aside from the raised platform at the other end. It was surrounded on one side by the same windows I had seen from the outside of the home. The figure on top of the platform stood looking outside through the windows. It was robed, with a hood and a long cloak.

Then, the same voice I had heard the other day spoke again as the figure turned around. It was wearing a mask over it's face, the mask was black and crimson with a sort of T shaped visor. "You may come over Princess Dragomir. I wish to speak with you."

Lissa walked forward and stood at the base of the platform, but I stayed back by the door.

"Do not step on the platform. It is not a place for you." The figure gazed over at me, then back to Lissa. "So, you are here because I have chosen to hire Guardians away from the Royal Moroi families. How pathetic. You attempt to show that you care for your Guardians, or rather Dhampir servants, by coming over here to convince me to stop hiring them, paying them very fair wages, then treating them fairly and protecting them better than your antiquated wards ever could." He chuckled, "Please, tell me why you deserve to treat Dhampirs like slaves and force them to protect you from the Strigoi."

Lissa hesitated for a second, "Slaves? That is a gross overstatement. We treat Dhampirs fairly and-"

"That is a lie and you know it! You have them defend you from Strigoi, risking their lives every day, and for what? So that their race may survive? Laughable Royal mentality. You are too scared and weak to defend yourselves. From my position, both your races deserve to die! By allowing themselves to be forced into servitude by your race, they are showing that they believe your lives are worth more than theirs. Even though there are now MORE MOROI than DHAMPIRS!"

Lissa stood silently as he looked her over head to toe, then looked over to me, "How long did Guardian Belikov intend to hide his mutations from you?"

I stood, stunned at what he said, but Lissa just stared up at him, "What?"

He laughed, "Yes, Belikov, I know what you are." He looked at Lissa, "Belikov must have a hard time hiding his aura from you. That or you are too weak to see it. His aura is gold, like yours, but he also needs blood to survive." He looked at me, "Tell me, how have you been hiding your trips to the Human feeders from your little friend?"

He turned to the window, "Princess, I believe you and I are done, you may leave. But Belikov will stay here with me." I looked at Lissa, then the figure, then I walked over as Lissa exited the room.

When she exited, he turned to me and looked me over head to toe, or I suspect so, it was difficult to see in the dark.

"So, you are an impressive specimen, Guardian Belikov. Or may I call you Dimitri?"

Him using my name angered me slightly, "I'd appreciate it if we could stay formal."

"Ah, not too fond of me? Oh well, it's common amongst most of the people here, aside from the family members and Lieutenant Wilkinson over there."

I knew he was referring to the woman watching the door for him, and I was slightly curious as to where she had come from, since she wasn't a Guardian, or I would have recognized her.

"But perhaps you are more likely questioning how I know of your powers, and of your, ah, deeds. Well, I have been blessed by Spirit's magic, although I have also been cursed by it. However, I am not here to talk about that. I am here to talk about my opinion on your deluded views of your race. Or should I say, your former race."

I started to raise my voice, coming close to shouting, "And what in the hell is that supposed to mean? I am not a Dhampir? And as for deluded views, what the fuck are you accomplishing out here?"

As soon as I finished speaking, he started to laugh, "Boy, you are a feisty one aren't you? We could sure use that."

I couldn't believe this, was this idiot actually trying to hire me?

"I would never work for you, if that's what you are suggesting. My loyalty and pride are not for sale."

He continued to laugh, "By loyalty, I assume you mean your owners would never willingly give you up. You say you have free will, you say you have morals, but in fact you don't. Your masters do. You do what they tell you, you risk your lives for them, and for what? So that Dhampirs may survive? Face it, you will never have children, Moroi women would never have a child with you, and Dhampirs are infertile."

While I was being extremely sickened by some of the things he was saying, I couldn't help but understand what he was saying, and realize that some of it was true. Although some of it was an overstatement. But before I could say anything else, he spoke again.

"Think about it, they are the ones who made you like this, they made you into what you are. And all they have done for you is pay you painfully small amounts of money and claim to help the Dhampir race. They have done nothing."

I decided I should say something, "Oh really, then why are you here. Why do you guard this Moroi family? What's so special that makes them worth defending and risking your life?"

"Oh, I have my reasons. Part of it has to do with the respect with which they treat me, part of it is the fact that they saved my life, and part of it is that I need them. To replace what I lost."

He stood silent for a few minutes, and just as I was about to speak, he did.

"Do not argue that I do not deserve respect because I stay up here all damn day. I used to guard these people with honour, despite my injuries, but now that we have been able to get some other Dhampirs in to help us, I don't need to do it." He sighed, "I'm tired, and need rest. Believe me, it's not too late to stop wasting your life, but you need to choose wisely."

He walked off his platform and over to another heavy door with a keypad lock on one side of the room. He entered a key, entered the room, and the door shut behind him.


	5. Chapter Four

**Well, here's Chapter Four. I am sorry for taking a little while on this one, but I watched the Japanese movie _Battle Royale_ the other night and it kind of threw me off of writing for a while. Not to say that it was bad or anything, it just got me thinking for a while.**

**Also, this chapter sort of introduces some of the story's mystery element, with the Science Fiction getting mixed in over the next few chapters.**

**Remember to review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, it's Richelle Mead's series.**

**Chapter Four**

We had been at this house for three days now, and I had fallen into a routine.

I would wake up between 9 and 10 in the morning, and after a quick shower, I would check up on Lissa, then I would essentially roam around the house for the day, appriciating the pleasant attitude most of the people here showed towards me. At about 8 in the evening, I would return to my room to read for an hour or so, then I would go to bed.

Lissa still hadn't met Lord Shavarishka, the Moroi whom owned the house, but she had met his wife, who had assured her that he was away on a buisness trip, and that he was due back sometime this week.

The visit was going well, and the few times I caught a glimpse of Lissa talking to the Dhampirs and Moroi in the home, they were kind and pleasant towards her. It amazed me that former Guardians could act so casually, but still be on alert at all times.

One day, following my usual routine, I was looking around the house, occasionally stopping to talk for a second to the patrolling Guards. I noticed that some of the areas were labelled by signs and such. For example, the stairs that were used to reach Sovereign's area were labelled by a sign reading:

_High Lord Sovereign's Chamber.  
__Please make sure you have an appointment before entering._

There was also a sign noting the Moroi living areas, the Family exclusively, as there were no service staff in the home, and a Barracks, which was no doubt where the Guards slept.

However, I found one area that I had not expected. In the center of the home's second floor, down the hall from my room, there was a door, with a small office to the side and two Dhampirs standing watch, which was labelled:

_Estate Defense Control Station.  
__Authorized Personell Only._

I was curious as to what was there, so I approached it, and when I got closer, a third Dhampir stepped out of the office.

"Ah, Guardian Belikov. What brings you way back here?"

I smiled, "Just looking around, like I always am."

He smiled and laughed, "Oh, I see. Um, you'll have to head out, this area is restricted to high ranking officers only."

I crossed my arms, "Well, from the sign I'm guessing you have some sort of cameras or an electronic security system for the house, why is that restricted?"

He sighed and shook his head, "Afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you. Let's just say that this room has a lot of sensitive electronics in it. And therefore is off limits to visitors."

I smiled, "I see. Well, I suppose I'll be going then."

He smiled and nodded, "Perhaps I'll see you again later."

I turned and walked down the hallway, turning around the nearest corner and stopping. Why was this room special enough to warrent several guards? After all, the only other well guarded room was the one on top of the house, and since Sovereign was obviously an important person, it made sense. Just then, I heard a voice coming from down the hall, it was that guard that had stopped me, I crouched to the floor and listened carefully.

"_No, Lord Sovereign. It wasn't that Moroi Princess, it was just one of her Guardians. Belikov I think._"

Just then, Sovereign's voice responded.

"_Well, what did he want?_"

"_He just seemed a little curious as to what the defense station was for. I don't think he knows anything._"

"_Hmm, keep a closer eye on him. We cannot afford him or his little friend discovering our research. The Royal families must not discover the Deadlight Prism until it's development is complete. Only then can we truly reign them in._"

"_Yes, my Lord. I'll give the word to the other Brothers to watch him closely._"

"_Good. What is the status on Darrell? We need that alrratts as soon as possible if we are to stay on schedule._"

"_I got a report from him this morning, he said that manufacture was almost complete, and that he would have the system on the transport by tomorrow evening._"

"_We may fall behind. It'll take a while to get that equiptment all the way over here._"

"_You don't need to remind me my Lord, I did make a flight to his facility before._" The guard yawned, "_I distinctly remember the flight being tiring._"

There was a short laugh, "_Yes. Flying from Central Germany to Japan does tend to take a while._"

Wait, was that where we were? Japan?

"_So, what should I do if I see Belikov over here again?_"

"_If you do see him up there again, past his assigned quarters I mean, you have the power to detain him on suspiscion of espionage. In that case, put him in one of the cells and I'll deal with him personally._"

"_Alright, my Lord. What about the Princess?_"

"_Just keep her busy and make sure she doesn't ask any questions. You know what sort of questions I mean._"

"_Yes, my Lord. Captain Graham out._"

Then there was a beep and the conversation ended. I quickly made my way back to my room before they caught me eavesdropping on them.

That conversation had left me with a lot of questions. What was the Deadlight Prism? What were these people doing here? What was that room actually for? But there was one other question that really bothered me.

_Was this all just a repeat of the genetics facility?_


	6. Chapter Five

**Well, here's #5. This one is shorter, but I feel that I ended this one at the best point possible. I have been distracted two other projects of mine, both VA FanFiction, and I hope to begin writing one of them soon, so I apologize for any delays.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Academy Series, that belongs to Richelle Mead.**

**Chapter Five**

Two days later, as some people had expected, Lord Darrell Shavarishka arrived home. He appeared to be a middle aged Moroi, between 45 and 55, with short brown hair and, suspiciously, Jade Green eyes. I was sure that Lissa would want to speak with him, but he didn't give permission for Lissa to speak with him. In fact, shortly after his arrival, he headed straight upstairs to Sovereign's chamber, and didn't appear downstairs for two hours, at which time Lissa and I were finally allowed to see him.

We entered the family dining room to see him having a conversation with his wife, he notice us almost immediately, and said in a calm, smooth voice, "Please, sit. I'll be right with you."

Lissa sat and I simply took a posistion along the wall, he noticed and spoke again, "Please, my Dhampir friend, sit. It won't hurt you to stop watching for danger for a few minutes, particularly here." He smiled.

I sighed and took a seat beside Lissa, and a few seconds later, he sat down across from us and looked to Lissa.

"So, who are you exactly? I apologize, but I have been in Munich the last few days, and most of my business here at home has been scattered."

Lissa smiled, "I am Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, here on behalf of the Royal Moroi Council."

His smile dissapeared and a more solemn look came over his face, "Ah, I see. My apologies to you on the loss of you family. Your father was a great man. Always willing to lend a hand."

Lissa looked slightly surprised, "I'm sorry, what was your relationship with my father?"

He smiled again, "Well, to understand my history with your parents, you would need to understand my family history. You see, the Shavarishka family isn't exactly directly related by bloodlines. We are related by name and ideology. Well, some of us. For example, my wife is related to me, she is an Ozera, but refuses to use the name. I am a Dashkov, but again, refuse to use the name. The same goes for our three children, they are related to both families, but do not like using either name. While this would usually make employment difficult at times, our family's income and business make it easy for them to find a job somewhere."

Lissa looked even more confused, "This is odd. So you are Royal Moroi-"

As she spoke the term, Royal Moroi, a slight look of anger came over his face, "Miss Dragomir, I advise you to refrain from using that term to refer to me or my family again, or I assure you, the result will not be pleasant."

He looked at me and smiled, "I am sorry. Please, continue."

"So, you are all related to our families, but you refuse to acknowledge it?"

He nodded, "Yes. We are sort of self-imposed outcasts. Refusing to belong to something as vain and useless as a "Royal" family. We believe that no matter what family you belong to, no matter what race you belong to, what you do with your life is your choice. We do not force Dhampirs into guarding us, but we pay them to do it, because thanks to you, it's all they know how to do. Thanks to my research, their jobs may soon be a whole lot easier."

I decided that now was my chance to speak up, "Yes. I noticed your "Estate Defense Station" and I was wondering what that, and your research, are all about."

He smiled and laughed, "Sorry. But that's Classified Level 6 under the H&S Defense Beareau's contracts with the SFC-KSK, SAS, JSFG, and USASF. The only way those files would become public record is if our contracts were terminated, as is stated in each and every one."

I sighed, "So what, you are researching something for a number of human groups that will somehow make our lives better?"

He smiled and his eyes widened, "Oh, no. My personal research has nothing to do with any of the said groups. Those contracts are connected to H&S Defense Beareau. It is developing and improving weapons systems for many different influential consumers, but my research is Classified Level 6 under said contracts, making it accessible only to me. So you see, my research is protected from people like you under those contracts, so nobody aside from myself can access it legally. And by legally, I mean it's protected by the human governments of Germany, Great Britan, Japan, and the United States."

I was really confused now. He was developing weapons for the human governments and their armies, but he was conducting his own research and using the contracts with them to legally restrict it?

"So you are creating weapons for humans, but you're also creating something for yourself that will make everyone's lives better? And what you are developing is protected by law in those countries?"

He sighed, "Look, I have truly had enough of this dicussion, is there anything else you wished to talk about? I have a lot of work to do."

Lissa eyed him for a second, "No."

He smiled, "Good. Well, I must be going, lots to do."

Shavarishka stood and headed for the door, but stopped at it, and turned back to us.

"I am sorry to say this, but you will have to be leaving within the next few days. It was nice to meet you both, but it's difficult to work when you have guests to entertain."

With that, he left the room.


	7. Chapter Six

**Alright, I know that you've been waiting a while for this, but I tried to put it up last night and my computer failed, so I'm doing it now.**

**Here is the status on my other stories, for those who care.**

**Uprising: Indefinite Hold  
Untitled: Finished for now.  
Mystery Projects: Planning Stages**

**Hope you enjoy the short chapter. **

**Chapter Six**

After our meeting with Shavarishka, which I considered a little irritating to say the least, Lissa decided that there was nothing out of the ordinary, and that we should leave the next day. We were informed that we would have to organize our own transportation, and that we could leave the next morning.

I, however, had other plans.

I decided that I was going to figure out just what the "Deadlight Prism" was, and what Shavarishka was doing here. Since I had a good idea of the estate's layout, I decided that the best place to search for any records would be the library on the second floor. It had a large collection of books and documents, as well as a computer that was linked to the home's private network.

So, when everyone was busy with dinner, which always took an hour or so, I made my way over to the Library, which was on the second floor. As I entered, the lights automatically turned on, and I made my way to the back corner, which had the computer.

I sat at the desk and turned it on, noticing that oddly enough, the computer had no mouse, just a keyboard. After a few seconds, the screen flickered on.

**Shavarishka Family Archives  
NO Unauthorized Access  
-Search  
-Login  
-Add Archive  
-System Maintinence **

I selected search and pressed enter, and after another second or two, another screen.

**Search Ready. Please enter search request.**

I entered the words Deadlight Prism and hit enter, the screen said searching, and after a few seconds, another screen.

*****-***CRITICAL SYSTEM ERROR***-*****

*****-***ERROR CODE 22476***-*****

*****-***SYSTEM SHUTDOWN INITIATED***-*****

The screen then flickered and shut off. I decided that that was obviously the end of that, and I headed back downstairs to get some food.

_**The Next Day**_

The flight back to the US was uneventful, as well as tiring. We had decided that instead of driving back to Court, we were going to stay at another family's house for the night. We decided that we should sleep and leave the watch to the house's Guardians, since we had a long day with our usual tasks tomorrow back at Court.

As I settled into bed, I felt relaxed being back on American soil, knowing that whatever was going on over there had nothing more to do with us, for now. And that I could get back to my work, and leave that behind me.

Or, so I had hoped.

I awoke to a loud smash and a small bang, followed by a loud yelling voice.

"Open Door! Team One, move in!"

I got out of bed and stood. As I moved to the door, I heard footsteps. I moved back from the door, and when the footsteps reached it, someone kicked it open, and I prepared to defend myself. Unfortunately, I also heard a click and saw a small item the size of a fist land on the floor in front of me, followed by a blinding light. I fell over, and heard a different voice.

"Target down, move in."

There were more footsteps as my vision started to come back, and I looked up to see two people, wearing black combat gear and carrying dangerous looking weapons standing over me.

"Is this him?"

The other one responded, "Yea." He put his finger up to his earpiece as the other one moved down and handcuffed me before violently hauling me to my feet.

"Command, this is Reaper One, we've got one of the targets." He looked down at me, "Come on Half-Breed, let's get moving."

Puzzled by the name, I was pushed forward and started walking. I entered the hallway and saw two other people bringing Lissa down the hall, also in handcuffs.

The two with me stopped the other two, "Hey, you remember the orders, knock her ass out."

One of the people with Lissa spoke, "Sorry, I would say I hate to hit a girl but, well you aren't exactly one."

He hit her violently in the head and she slumped over as the other one caught her and threw her over his shoulder. We kept moving and I saw the other three Guardians that had been with me, as well as the Moroi family and their Guardians handcuffed and on their knees. There were three or four men watching them, and three more came in from outside, one of them obviously being the leader.

He wasn't wearing a helmet and ski-mask, like the others, and just from one look at his face, I noticed something very odd.

He was human.

**Alright alright, I know that chapter was short and kind of crappy, but I hope to have seven done in a week or two, so look forward to it!**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Here's Chapter Seven! It's short, but took less time than the last chapter.**

**This will be the last one for a time, because I have to start school next week and I have a few classes I expect to be tough coming up. Also, thanks VERY much to everybody who reads and reviews my stories! You are all awesome!**

**Anyway, I hope that you guys don't get too confused through the next chapter or two!**

**So, without further ado, and a quick reminder that I don't own the Vampire Academy Series or any associated content, here's Chapter Seven!**

**Chapter Seven**

I looked at him carefully, studying his features.

He looked young, late twenties or early thirties maybe, with short brown hair and blue eyes. He also wasn't wearing the same clothing as the rest of his team Instead of wearing strictly combat gear, he was wearing what looked like a suit with a combat vest over it, and a pair of heavy boots.

He took one look at me, smiled, and put his hand to his ear, "Captain, this is Vanguard One, I've got both targets. Understood, what about the others? Yes sir, it'll be taken care of when your boys get in here. Understood Captain, out."

He looked over to his men that were watching the Moroi family and their Guardians and sighed, "I hate to see so many lives go to waste. Collateral damage I suppose." He gave a quick nod, and one of his men slowly went from one person to the next, jamming a knife in to the back of their kneck.

The one behind me pushed me towards the leader and I walked, restraining myself from screaming.

"Sorry, but who are you and what in the hell are you doing?"

He smiled, "Sorry. Belikov, is it?"

I nodded.

"Well, what I am doing is following my orders. I was told to take you and the Dragomir girl, then silence everyone else here. As for who I am, you'll find out in due time. And a before you ask why you are being taken, it depends on what you want to hear."

I shook my head, confused, "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He laughed, "Well, officially, you are under arrest for several counts of treason against the United States of America."

I sighed and lowered my head, "I'm very confused, and I'd like to know exactly what is happening."

He shook his head, "Sorry, but you'll have to wait for that. When we get back to base, the Captain might decide to tell you, but until then you'll have to sit down and shut the fuck up. Cause' I'm not in a talking mood, especially since I got waken up in the middle of the damn night to come all the fucking way out here to get you two dipshits."

He nodded to the soldiers behind me and I was pushed again, so I walked outside, just to notice a helicopter landing on a cleared space of the yard. I started walking again, but the soldier behind me grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back so hard I'm surprised he didn't dislocate it.

"You wanna get crushed to death by a 13 ton hunk of metal? Otherwise, stand the fuck back."

I stood and watched as the helicopter, getting larger as it approached, landed carefully. After a few seconds the soldier shoved me again.

"Come on, on the chopper, I don't have all goddamn day, and I need some sleep."

I walked forward and, as I reached the helicopter, another two soldiers followed by another human in different clothing walked down the ramp at the rear.

The two soldiers that came down the ramp stood on the opposite sides of the ramp from each other as the third one walked down it.

This one was a lot older than the others, in his late fifties to early sixties. He was wearing what I could guess was an army officer's uniform with a combat vest and a red beret. There was what I was guessing was a metal badge of a sword surrounded by leaves with a small flag at the base of the sword, but I couldn't make it out.

The soldier that was behind me moved forward and gave a quick salute before boarding the helicopter, as did the one carrying Lissa, still knocked out, over his shoulder.

I heard engines and doors shutting in the background and guessed that the others were leaving by cars or SUVs. The man in front of me looked me over for a second and spoke, unlike the others, in a thick foreign accent.

"So, I guess it's more difficult than I thought to tell you disgraceful bastards from the rest of us. Well, suppose we should get going." He nodded to the soldier on the right, who proceeded to grab me by the shoulder and almost drag me onto the heicopter. He shoved me down into the first seat and looked me right in the eye through his mask.

"Sit down and shut up. Trust me, it'll make this all a lot easier."  
He walked up to the front of the helicopter and sat with the man I was guessing was in charge of this whole operation, but didn't seem very much like it.

Before I could really think about any of what was happening, the leader up front gave the soldier next to me a quick nod, and he smashed the stock of his weapon in to my head, knocking me into black emptiness.

**So, be sure to review and let me know what you think! I hope to start writing again around the 10th or so, and I might even squeeze in a short chapter this weekend!**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Alright, here's chapter eight. I am not going to go into detail over this because it's 1:30 AM, and I'm in serious need of sleep.**

***The name "Walther" is pronounced "Valter" in the German language.**

**Eight**

When I woke up and managed to open my eyes, the room I was in wasn't exactly good.

In fact, it was one of the worst I could've hoped for.

Instead of being in a room alone, like I was in that reasearch lab, I was in what was essentially a prison cell. It was a small room with a bed, toilet, and a set of bars blocking the doorway.

And as for being alone, there was a guard sitting outside behind a desk with this feet up.

Close observation revealed he was human, and just as I realized it, he looked over at me and smiled.

"Hey, sleeping dipshit's awake."

He stood and walked out of the room, returning a few moments later with the man that had spoken to me on the helicopter earlier. Except this time he was wearing a formal armed forces uniform with the same patch on it that had been on his beret earlier.

"Well, I guess I should be a little honest with you. You get three questions, ask away."

I thought for a second, "Where am I?"

"You are in military custody in a location I am not at liberty to reveal."

"Who are you?"

He smiled, "I am Major Walther* Arfeshultz of the KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte, the German Army's Special Forces unit."

"Why am I here?"

He sighed, "That, I am afraid, is more difficult to answer. Specifically, you are here because you have been attempting to access classified military research. So you have been secretly classified as an international criminal, and the United States Special Forces Command brought you in for us. You and your companion."

Oh god, I thought. Lissa.

"What have you done with her?"

He smiled, "Oh, I'm sorry. But you had your three questions. That means I should probably be leaving."

I started to panic a bit, "Come ON! Couldn't you at least let me know what's going to happen to me and Lissa?"

He stopped walking and turned to me with a slightly shocked and horrified look on his face, "Did you just say Lissa? As in Vasilisa?"

I sat still, highly shocked, "No. Confused her with someone else."

He shook his head, "But you do know her. I can see it in your eyes."

He looked at the other soldier and said something in German, then the soldier left.

He looked at me, shook his head, sighed and turned away, "This isn't good."

I looked at him, standing by the doorway with his head down. "What, what's so bad now? Just a second ago you looked pretty happy that you had me here.

He turned and yelled, "I was! Until I found out who you really are! And if the Dragomir girl is with you, then Hathaway must be too." He spoke quietly, "Those two were always inseperable."

I shook my head, "Alright, I think I deserve an answer! Who the hell are you really, and what in the hell do you want with us?"

He opened the door and took a final look at me and spoke in a low, dangerous tone that had a slight hint of fear in it, "The people I work for are going to do anything to get their hands on you and those two girls. You've all caused them quite a lot of trouble, and I think it's safe to say that you won't live to the end of tomorrow. And if you do, you won't be seeing either one of them again."

I looked him in the eyes, "Oh really, and what makes you think I'd let them take the two of them without a fight?"

He shook his head, "Oh, I never said that. I never even said you'd be let free. When I said that you would never see them again, I meant it in the most literal sense."

And with that, he left.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Well, here you go everyone, Chapter Nine. I know it took a while, but I was writing this and my other story, along with my school work.**

**Just remember I don't own VA, Richelle Mead does, and be sure to review so I know I haven't lost my touch!**

**Chapter Nine**

I had been transferred to another room after a while, this one with a heavy door, and it was cold.

Nobody brought me anything to eat or drink the entire time I was there, and that only made it worse. I was starting to wonder whether or not anybody else was even still here, because I hadn't heard a single noise coming from outside at all. I spent most of the time sleeping or thinking about what that guy had said, _When I said you'll never see them again, I meant it in the most literal sense._ What could that mean?

Suddenly, a noise jolted my attention to the door. I heard a few clunks from the lock and the door opened. Huh, guess I'm not alone after all.

In the door stepped two men, one of them was a human soldier wearing the same combat gear with the same rifle as most of the others here. The second was a Moroi man, who looked like he was in his mid forites to early fifties. He looked at me for a few seconds before pulling a pair of glasses out of his jacket and walking behind me. I felt him pull my shirt down and guessed he was looking at my kneck.

"Hmm, perfect match."

He walked back around and looked at the soldier, "It's him, take him out to the car. I'll move him from there."

The soldier nodded, "Yes sir."

He hauled me violently to my feet and almost dragged me out the door. I looked at the man as he walked about three or four feet in front of us. He was a little taller than me, with short brown hair and slightly tanned skin. That had to be the oddest part of him, Moroi usually avoided sunlight altogether, since it had a habit of making them weak. He was wearing a t-shirt with a casual leather jacket and a pair of faded jeans. I could've easilly mistaken him for a Guardian, now that I thought about it, except for the lack of muscle and the skin, he looked sort of like a dhampir.

I was taken outside and put in the back seat of a four door BMW, and I was surprised and happy to see that Lissa was with me. I looked out the window for a second and saw we were on what looked like an average military base, well from what I knew about them anyways. The car was normal, with nothing seperating us from the two in the front seat. The man that had taken me outside sat in the driver's seat. He pulled us off the base and on to the highway. The one in the passenger seat held up a handgun.

"Alright, you two can sit with each other and talk, but try anything and I won't hesitate to kill you both where you sit."

The driver spoke up, "Ah, don't worry. He would never kill you both. Now would you Markus? Remember, she isn't to be harmed, but he is expendable."

They stopped speaking and Lissa turned to me with a shocked look on her face, and said quietly in a panicked voice, "Where are they taking us? And what is going on here?"

I shook me head, "No idea. We were at a German Military base for a while back there, and now I have no clue what we're doing or where we're going."

The driver spoke up, "You're going to Nuremburg. Our parents home is there. Don't worry, you aren't in trouble. Yet."

I decided I should try and keep this conversation going to break the tension, "So what, you're both brothers?"

Markus spoke this time, "Sort of."

"And what do you mean, we're not in trouble yet?"

The driver spoke this time, "Well, technically one of you may be in a bit of trouble. Quick question Belikov, where's Rosemarie? I thought she was always with you two?"

Markus spoke up, "Yeah, especially what with her relationship with Dimitri."

The two of them laughed and I just sat there, slightly horrified. Who were these two, and what did they have to do with us?

"How in the hell do you know us anyways?"

The driver spoke, "Well, Markus can handle your questions, since I have to pay attention to the road."

"We know a lot more about you then you'd think. All three of you. Especially the two girls. Tell me, did you think you were capable of killing her in those labs? I'll give you a hint, the answer is no."

I looked at him with a disgusted face and a sickening feeling in my stomach, "What in the hell are you talking about?"

He turned around and smiled, "Have you ever wondered if any decision you made in your life was of your own free will? Have you ever questioned whether or not your actions were your own decisions?"

I was getting really confused with what this guy was saying, and my face obviously showed it, because he laughed, "Don't worry, we'll explain it further eventually."

I began to wonder just what he was getting at, but instead of questioning further, I just sat back and tried to enjoy the ride.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Hey guys n' gals, here's Chapter Ten. I REALLY apoloigize with taking so long, but my school work has been a pain in the ass lately because of English and such.**

**I really hope you all continue to read and support! And I hope to write a bit faster on the next one!**

**Disclaimer: Go back and read it from a previous chapter.**

**Chapter Ten**

When the car stopped moving, I looked out the window to see that we had arrived at a small two story home in a wooded area. The drive had taken a while, so I guessed it was a fair distance away from the base we had been on. The two guys in front got out and opened out doors.

"Come on, get out."

I got out of the car and walked with Lissa and the two men to the home. It was daytime, and neither of them seemed harmed by the sunlight. We got to the door, and one of them put in a code to a keypad next to the door, it beeped and the door unlocked.

The room we entered was a small entrance area, with a few chairs to one side and a heavy door with another keypad and a camera above it. I guessed it was sort of a waiting area. One of the men appraoched the door and input a code, it beeped and unlocked. We entered a larger room, but I didn't really have time to observe the surroundings, as we were taken upstairs to what I guessed was an office for the head of the household. We entered to find a desk with a lamp on top of it, and a few books on a shelf to the side. There was a chair behind the desk and two more in front of it.

"Just wait here, our father will be in to see you shortly." It wasn't a request, it was an order.

The two brothers exited the room and left me and Lissa alone for a few moments. I really didn't understand waht was going on or what these people wanted with us. Suddenly, the door opened again and another Moroi man stepped in.

This guy was older, looking around his late forties to early fifties. He was tall, with short white hair and glassy blue eyes.

"Please, sit down. We have quite a lot to discuss."

I looked at Lissa and she moved over and took a seat in front of the desk, I followed.

He looked at us pleasantly and smiled, "Don't be worried about us doing any harm to you. We have no reason to hurt either of you. Especially young Vasilisa." He sighed, "I'd like to get this out of the way though, so if you have any questions, ask them now please."

I had no idea where to start, so I asked the most obvious one, "What do you want with the two of us?"

He chuckled, "Well, what I want is to make sure that you two are kept safe. You see, originally, my wife and I saw your family as a nuisance. Your parents had a habit of ruining our plans by sheer dumb luck on multiple occasions, and we really couldn't have that. So, we decided that a nice assassination was in order."

Lissa breathed in heavily, "That crash. It wasn't an accident."

He frowned and sighed, "Exactly. We really didn't want to hurt you or Rosemarie, but we had no choice. The brake jammer we installed on your parent's car made damn sure they couldn't stop for that turn. Of course, after we arrived to secure the jammer's components and remove them to ensure our secrecy, we realized the power you had. And at that point, we decided that you had to lvie. And if you had to live, Rosemarie did as well. We have been manipulating events from the background, always making sure you were both safe. When Mr. Belikov came along, we decided that he would be the best backup plan to keep you both safe, so we used our own abilities to our benifit."

I looked him in the eye and saw the glint of regret that shone clearly through.

"What did you do to me?" I asked in the most menacing tone I could use.

He sighed, "We modified your mind to an extent. Our own abilites with Spirit are well developed, and we have one very particularly useful skill that has helped us on countless occasions. The so called "Memory Charm." We implanted a command in the back of your mind. One so well hidden that you could not access it, but so powerful that it overrode any decision you made regarding either of the two girls, and made damn sure that you wouldn't do anything to inadvertently harm them. However, the drugs that you were administered by those Moroi scientists seem to have diluted the effect of the charm, allowing you to let Rosemarie go. This has caused unforseen complications that we must immediately rectify."

I just sat there, wondering how all of my life since I met Rose had been nothing but an unconcious order to keep her safe. Then, I realized I had to ask him one thing.

"Was the love I felt for Rose created by that charm, or was it real."

He smiled, "Oh, that was real. We made sure that it wouldn't effect your emotions, simply your logic."

I breathed a sigh of relief. So, not all of my life had been a true dream, just some of it.

Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang, and the man answered it.

"Yes?"

He had a short conversation that sounded fairly uninteresting up until the end.

"Yes, I have Belikov here. Yes, I can let him know, but how? Oh, I see. Alright, I'll let him know, look forward to seeing you."

He hung up the phone and stood up, with a quick glance at me, he spoke in a cold, emotionless tone, "You two are doomed. Rosemarie is dead."


	12. AN: I'm really sorry to everyone

**Please Read Through Entirely**

_**Well, I know I haven't posted anything in a very long time (At least 2 months.), but I really haven't been able to write or do anything in my spare time. Between school, personal issues and going through another computer switch, things have been a little hectic for me, and I really thank and apologize to any of you that've been really hopeful of new writing coming from me. I've been trying to nail down some time to write, but it just hasn't been happening. I wish there was something else I could say, but truth be told, I haven't written anything at all in a long time.**_

_**I really would like to apologize, and give you my word that I am doing everything I can to start writing again. This weekend I'll be going through my old laptop to clean a few things out and I'll sort my text documents (Mostly wirting of mine, a few other things there too.), and hopefully I can draft a new chapter for... Well, I don't know what I'll start writing first.**_

_**This is, in my opinion, the best summary of any writing I'll be doing.**_

**Science Meets Magic**

_**Okay, this one is on the top of my list since I'm so close to finishing it. I'll do my best to work on it first, but no promises. I actually have part of the next chapter for this written, but I stopped due to problems I had with the direction it took, so I decided to hold and rewrite the chapter. As you all know, that obviously never happened.**_

**Live, Love, & Hate**

_**Okay, this is second up on my to do list. I'd like to get two chapters or so of this out after the next one in SMM. I've literally been dreaming about writing this one for a few weeks, so I can guarantee it hasn't slipped my mind.**_

**The Distress Call**

_**Now, this is obviously my least far along story so far, and it'll be on hold longer than the other two. I'd like to start the other two and finish SMM before I take another crack at this. Sorry for any enthusiastic readers.**_

**Uprising**

_**Okay, for anyone else still waiting for an update here, I REALLY apologize, I got occupied with other stories. I'll update here next time I remember to.**_

_**So, as you can tell, I'll be working as diligently as I can to get going again, so don't give up hope!**_

_**~Nueemann**_


	13. Another AN: Sorry again

**Alright, so I feel like a ton of apologies are in order. I've been distracted with a number of things, but I swear that tonight I'm going to sit down and update one of my stories.**

**The main reason I'm posting this short little note is in the hope it'll push me to do this much needed update. I hope that if I can get into writing here, tonight, I can update some other stories.**

**Essentially, I'll probably be updating Live, Love, & Hate tonight, at least with some small dialogue.**

**Also, if anyone is interested in adopting any of my other stories that are on hold (Anything OTHER than The Distress Call, Science Meets Magic, and LLH), PM me and I'll see if I can arrange something. I believe I should let those stories get finished, as it pains me to have them sitting, uncompleted, and I simply can't do it myself.**

**Anyway, thanks for the patience, I hope I can continue to deliver entertainment with my writing.**

**~Nueemann**


End file.
